Out with the old, in with the new. Another season of College Football is in the history books, and a new class of freshmen is ready to fill the void left behind by departing seniors. This proverbial conveyor belt of talent, a carousel of players hopping on and off, is a perpetual cycle. Near-sightedness is a cardinal sin in this sport, and programs already have one eye beyond the upcoming 2025 season. A player in the class of ‘26 finds himself at the center of a storm, with no less than 26 ways out.

Even in this era of constant changes to dynamics in the sport, one thing has and always will remain constant. Football games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. The troops you’re deploying on either side of the trenches often dictate whether you’ll trump the enemy. Now, there’s no science as to whether it’s the offensive line or the defensive line that’s more vital to a team. Maybe a fair conclusion to make would be this. The D-line can win you games, and the O-line can keep you in them. Protecting the quarterback is requisite to staying afloat. Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols recognize that as much as anyone. However, they have unfortunately been thwarted by a man-mountain interior O-lineman. Merely 3 months after committing to them

6” 4, 320-pound 4-star Brandon Anderson will not be lining up at Rocky Top. Anderson has just decommitted from Tennessee, as reported by On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He’s garnered 26 offers, inclusive of some of the most prominent programs in the country. The Kennesaw, Georgia native out of North Cobb High indeed demands this level of reverence. 247Sports’ Composite ranking has Brandon Anderson down as the 22nd-best interior O-lineman in the country. Definitely a blow to the Volunteers, but not one they cannot recover from at this early juncture.

Brandon Anderson’s reversal now opens the door for Heupel’s adversaries to make inroads. He’d perhaps have seen this over the horizon. Just last week, Anderson was visited by his in-state school, Georgia’s Kirby Smart. North Cobb High School took to X and relayed a picture of him and coach Smart on campus, which was then reposted by Anderson himself. Both Georgia and Georgia Tech were major players in this race prior to Anderson’s initial commitment to the Vols. Less than a fortnight ago, he was actually in Rocky Top and had said, “It was good. I spent time with coaches.” Well, evidently, it wasn’t good enough!

UGA and Georgia Tech aren’t the only two in-state rivals in the reckoning. One of Brandon Anderson’s latest offers came via  Florida State. Their nemesis, Florida, is already in the race and actually a prevalent player in it. Anderson visited the Swamp earlier in January. He also was at the LSU game back in November. Expect this recruitment to stretch deep into the off-season. As for Josh Heupel and his Vols, they still have 7 commits in the 2026 class. They’ll be able to move on from this loss as long as their crown jewel in this class remains intact.

Brandon Anderson snub a blemish on a successful 2026 commit class for Heupel

The way their season ended on a whimper left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. The orange was well and truly squashed in Columbus that fateful day during the round 1 playoff game. But alas, Josh Heupel can take some solace from his season now that the dust has settled on it. Making the playoffs from within the treacherous SEC was a statement. Speaking of which, Tennessee has made another by having the no.2 QB in the class of ‘26 committed. 

He may not have Brandon Anderson lined up in protection, but Faizon Brandon is still all-in with the Vols. He’s got a half-decent supporting cast building around him as well. Tennessee also has 4-star receiver Tyreek King, 3-star receiver Tyran Evans, and 4-star tight end Carson Sneed under commitment. Anderson aside, they’ve also got 3-star Gabriel Osenda poised to feature in the offensive line. 

Josh Heupel is known for his offensive enterprise, and so it’s not a surprise that side of football is shaping up strongly. He’ll seek to make up for the loss of Brandon Anderson from elsewhere. As aforementioned, the conveyor belt of talent is perennial. Albeit finding a physical specimen of this ilk will prove to be a challenge.